


Cassiopeia and All The Pretty Lights

by honeydippedink



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Anxiety, Depression, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Kissing, Loss of Parent(s), Love, Love Confessions, Mental Health Issues, References to Depression, Romance, Romantic Angst, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Stargazing, Stars, Suicidal Thoughts, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23605978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeydippedink/pseuds/honeydippedink
Summary: "“Do you think I fit in here?”I stopped drinking for a minute and turned to look at her.I couldn’t tell if it was because of the amount of alcohol I had consumed, or if it was genuine. But with one glance, I knew what my answer was.“No.”"...Shane has a tendency to keep people out, no matter the cost.Hannah has a savior complex from the people she couldn't save first.In Pelican Town, there isn't much room for those that don't fit in. Shane had learned it when he first came, and Hannah learned it the first morning she stepped into Pierre's. With two misfits stuck in the torrential downpour of their past, the beginning of their demise started the first night she spotted him on the dock. While even a love written in the stars can't heal all wounds, they'll sure as hell try.
Relationships: Jas & Marnie & Shane (Stardew Valley), Shane & Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane & Player (Stardew Valley), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Character(s), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Female Character(s), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Reader, Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	Cassiopeia and All The Pretty Lights

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys! this is my first multi-chapter fic ever. i've always liked writing, so i thought i'd put quarantine time to good use and see if i'm any good! i promise the length of chapters won't usually be this short, i just liked how this one ended. i hope you all enjoy <3

The corner may have kept me invisible for a while, but tonight it felt like it did absolutely nothing. The saloon was bustling with people, which was surprising for a Tuesday night; even more so for the usually quiet nature of Pelican Town. The blonde chick, Haley, was rocking on her heels behind me, drink in hand, watching the ease of the boys at the pool table. The gridball kid was watching her from the other side of the room; could he be any more obvious? I took a swig of the heavy glass in front of me, and the taste of the alcohol seemed to be bitter for a moment, something I hadn’t experienced in years. I pursed my lips before pinching the bridge of my nose and tracing my finger along the top of the glass. I just got paid, and this is where it is all going? What a fucking joke.

Emily floated towards me with a giant grin on her face. Her blue hair ricocheted off her shoulders and always managed to seem naturally messy; she pulled it off, though. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I lifted the glass into the air. A new pint was placed before me in a matter of minutes. I grabbed its handle and chugged before I realized Emily still stood in front of me. I pulled the glass down slightly from my lips and squinted at her as if to ask what her problem was.

“Did you hear?” She began. I rolled my eyes and brought the glass to my lips again, taking a swig. “Someone’s moving onto the Lancaster farm. You know, the one by Marnie’s?”

I nearly spit the beer out onto her face.

The alcohol burned the back of my throat as I coughed it down, trying to regain the little composure I had. Emily grabbed a towel as if to prepare for the possibility of another projectile attack. Small tears formed at the corners of my eyes as my choking slowly stopped. Lucky for me, the jukebox blared so loud the only person to hear me choke was Emily; regardless of the jukebox, though, the residents of this town would be too wrapped up in their own lives to notice if I keeled over dead in this joint.

“Why the fuck would someone buy that farm? Nobody’s been there for years. It looks like a shitshow.” Realizing my sudden outburst, I rubbed the sides of my temples. I was starting to get slightly fuzzy from the beer, but the impending doom this new neighbor was bringing seemed to keep me grounded.

“It wasn’t bought.” Emily wiped down the counter with a wet rag and pushed some of her hair out of her face. “The old owner’s granddaughter is inheriting it, she’s moving down from Zuzu City.” I let out a bitter laugh and took a swig of the alcohol still sitting.

“Fantastic.” I bit the inside of my mouth and cursed in my head. I would never say it out loud to Emily, but I’m thankful she tells me these things. A Zuzu City girl? She won’t know a damn thing about running that farm. The closest thing she’s probably owned to a crop is a JojaMart succulent. It’ll be another mess to clean up once she goes sprinting back to the glittering lights of the city. I shook my head and downed the rest of the alcohol. How many glasses have I had tonight?

“I won’t serve you any more beer tonight, Shane. Your energy seems a little off.” I clicked my tongue and pulled the ratty sweatshirt closer over my shoulders. The saloon was still pretty busy, however now I knew why; they were all vying for information on the precious farm girl moving in. It was out of character for me to leave this early, but the idea of the newbie in the morning sucked the life out of me. I would go back to Marnie’s, grab one of my six-packs, and head out to the dock. I sighed in content at the thought before Emily snapped me back to reality. “Take care of yourself.”

I grumbled something back to her and pushed the door of the saloon open. For a Spring day, the air was awfully bitter. It was the type of breeze you’d expect in the dead of night in the winter. I bit my cheek and trudged down the stone path towards the ranch. I kicked a small rock as I walked. A new girl. I couldn’t shake the thought from my head. I had finally succeeded in getting the normal townsfolk to leave me alone, and now I have to go through the same process all over with this chick from Zuzu? I huffed and kicked the rock harder, forcing it into the bushes. I sighed and pulled at a thread on my JojaMart hoodie. The clack of my feet on the stone echoed in the empty night. I chuckled a little as I gazed into the river, staring directly at the man my reflection showed. The laugh quickly faded into a scowl.

“Fucking pathetic.”

I turned my head and walked towards the clearing of the ranch. I could see the massive silo glowing overtop the trees; the faint yellow light coming from the fireplace inside the house was comforting, in a tiny way. I fumbled into the house, flipping on the switch in the kitchen as I pulled the pack of beers from the counter. I ripped one out of the packaging and swallowed fast, pulling the can back from my lips after a few seconds. I carried them through the doorway and back out into the chilly night. An owl glided overhead and flew deep into the forest, leaving nothing but silence to shake the ranch. The scenery was so tiring; the grass was a sickening green and the reflection of the moon on the lake was a milky white; there is no inherently special quality about them. I sighed and took a swig of the can. The silence of the night held me like a blanket, and my mind drifted into a drunken haze.

Then, I heard footsteps.

I turned my head around and immediately felt dizzy at the sudden movement. My hand flew to my temples and pinched; the pain was blunt and heavy. As my world faded to black, I heard the faint noise of footsteps come closer with each passing second. A soft hand laid itself on my shoulder, and I flinched away.

“What the hell? Who-” I pulled my head up from my hand, ignoring the searing pain it caused, and looked at the person in front of me.

Damn, I was really fucking drunk.

The girl was kneeling beside me, her hand still up from the original touch. Her hair was a light brown mess of waves, pulled to the side in a ribbon-tied ponytail. A few strays stuck to her face, probably from sweat. Her head was cocked to the side in question.

Who the hell?

“Are you okay?” Her voice seemed genuinely concerned, but also slightly strained. My face contorted into one of disgust.

“Do I know you?”

She seemed taken aback at the biting hostility of my response. “I mean, no, but that doesn’t mean-” I scoffed and went to stand up. Brushing the dirt of the dock off of my jeans, I looked down at her.

“Listen, I don’t need your help or your pity. I’d rather fall off the pier here.” I lifted my foot to begin walking forward, but instantly stumbled over a small cloth bag and slammed back into the wood of the dock. The pain in my head was searing at this point, and now, my entire body hurt too.

“Hey, hey. Don’t be like that. Let me help you.” She got off her knees and held out both hands to me. At this point, I was too drunk and too physically exhausted to care. I took her hands and bit a string of curses back as I stood up. She moved a hand to my upper arm, holding me steady as I swayed from the liquor. I looked at her again, this time under the glow of the moon. She had pale green eyes that focused intently on me. I locked my jaw.

“You can let go of me now.” She took a sharp breath before pulling her hand off of my arm quickly. She looked at her feet and bit the corner of her lip before focusing back on me. She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “You can go, now.”

“Can I at least know your name?” I scrunched my nose at this and itched the back of my neck. Why did my name matter?  
“No.”

“Why not?” She seemed genuinely puzzled; incredibly lifelike for a figure of my drunk imagination.

“Because you won’t be here tomorrow, so it doesn’t matter.” This seemed to confuse her even more, but the water’s sudden crash against the pillars of the dock startled both of us before she could retaliate. I turned to face the front of the dock again, walked back over to the edge, and plopped down. My head was still pounding, but walking back to Marnie’s with a ghost wasn’t very enticing. I picked up the can I had left before and chugged it, finishing it off.

“Can I sit with you?” I didn’t have the energy to fight with her anymore, so I lifted my now empty can to signal my approval. She walked over and sat down quietly, facing the lake. I swallowed hard before looking at the person beside me. Her breathing was slow as she focused on the sky above us. I didn't realize I had been staring until she turned to look at me and smiled.

Nauseating.

I turned back around and fumbled for another beer. I pulled the can out before stopping for a brief second. I looked at the girl sitting beside me and beckoned with my hand towards the pack. She opened her mouth, and I waved it off. I pulled a second can out and handed one of them to her. She traced the lip of the metal before beginning to speak again, looking back towards the stars.

"That's Cassiopeia, up there." I stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to continue. "Sad story, really. But pretty nonetheless." I looked towards the stars she was fixated on. To me, they seemed like a clump of blurry flecks. I felt no desire to tell her that, however. With a tap on my hand, she snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Do you know who I am?”

I was caught off guard by the vulnerability of the question. Was it literal? Or was she about to spiral into a theatrical lecture of her fatal flaws? I shook my head regardless and took another sip of the beer. She was shivering a bit, and for a second I thought about offering her the sweatshirt draped over my shoulders.

“Can you be honest with me, then?” I grimaced.

“Sure, I guess.”

“Do you think I fit in here?”

I stopped drinking for a minute and turned to look at her. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the amount of alcohol I had consumed, or if it was genuine. But with one glance, I knew what my answer was.

“No.”


End file.
